Nings



(No Model.)

w. H JENNINGS.

GAR LOADER.

No. 388,494. Patented Aug. 28, 1888;

Sum whom,

@v wvwaow her, wawinmm u c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM HUBBARD JENNINGS, OF ROBERTS, FLORIDA.

CAR-LOADER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 388,494, dated August 28, 1888.

Application filed April 12, 1888. Serial No. 270.424. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I,WILLLAM HUBBARD J EN- NINGS, a'citizen of the United States, residing at Roberts, in the county of Escambia and State of Florida, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Car-Loaders, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to an improvement in devices for loading platform-cars with lumber and other heavy commodities; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination ofdevices, that will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus whereby lumber may be prepared for loading onto platformcars, so that when the cars arrive the lumber may be speedily placed thereon, thus enabling a large number of cars to be loaded in a short time.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of an apparatus embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View of the same.

A represents a pair of elevated trestles or frames, which are arranged on opposite sides of a car-track, B. The said trestles or frames are provided on their upper sides with tracks O,which extend parallel with the track B,and on the said tracks 0 are mounted the usual dummy cars, D,which are employed for hauling the lumber from the mill or yards. On the opposing sides of the trestles, which are arranged over the can track B,are secured trackrails E,which are also parallel with the track B, and mounted on the said rails E is a jack or elevating ear, F, the construction of which is as follows:

G represents the platform of the car. H represents the usual flanged wheels, which have their axles journaled in suitable bearings, I, that depend from the sides of the platform.

K represents a series of bosses or offsets,which project from the upper side of the platform and are arranged in line with the axis thereof. Through the said bosses or offsets extend elevating-screws L, the lower ends of which are provided with enlarged heads M.

N represents a pair of rods, which have their inner ends pivoted to each head M, said rods extending outward and at a slight downward inclination, and are normally supported by hooks O, which depend from the platform G.

1? represents elevating nuts or hubs, which are screwed to the screws L, bear upon the upper sides of the offsets K, and are provided with radial arms or levers R, by means of which the said nuts or hubs may be rotated, so as to raise or lower the screws.

S represents links, which have their upper' ends flexibly jointed to the outer ends of the arms N and depend therefrom. The lower ends of the said links are provided with eyes or openings P, and bars U are adapted to be passed through the said eyes or openings, so as to connect the lower ends of the links.

A number of these jack or elevating cars will be provided, according to the number of railway platform-cars to be loaded, there being one of the said jack or elevating ears for each railway-car. 0n the opposing sides of the trestles and on opposite sides of the track B are longitudinal supporting-beams V, on which are arranged transverse beams W at such a height that the platform-cars X may pass under said beams.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The lumber brought upon the trestles by the cars D is piled upon the bars U and between the links S and arranged in suitable piles to make car-loads, the said links, bars, and arms N forming frames which are suspended from the jack or elevating cars. While the said frames are being loaded the arms N are engaged with the lower ends of hooks 0, so that the outer portions of the said frames are suspended from the platforms of the jaclccarsand thereby the elevating -screws are partly relieved of the weight of theloads of lumber. As soon as each car has been suflicientlyloaded, it is moved on the track E'to a position over the track B,and where it will be directly over the platform-car when a train of the same has been backed on the said track B between the trestles. The beams W are then arranged transversely on the supporting-beams B, the books 0 are disengaged from the arms N ,and the elevating nuts or hubs are rotated by grasping the levers B, so as to cause the elevating-screws to be gradually lowered, so as to lower the loaded frames and the lumber piled therein onto the beams W. When the train of cars to be loaded has been backed under the suspended piles of lumber and everything. is in readiness for freighting the said cars, the nuts or hubs are turned so as to cause the ele vating-serews to raise the piles of lumber from the beams WV, the latter are removed, and the piles of lumber in the swinging suspended frames are then lowered directly onto the platform-ears, the links are disconnected from the rods U, the latter are removed, the screws are turned so as to lift the links and arms out of the way of the train, the stanehions commonly employed on platform-ears are set in place and caused to bear against the sides of the lumber piled on the ears, and the train is then ready to proceed to its destination. By this means the lumber may be arranged in piles of car- ]oad lots,and may be got in readiness for transfer to the ears while the latter are yet absent, so that when the railroad company furnishes the ears the same may be loaded in a very short time and thereby expensive and veXatious delays in loading ears with the lumber may be avoided.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. The apparatus comprising a jack ear adapted to be run on an elevated track above the railroad-track, the elevating screws depending from the platform of the jack-car, the nuts or hubs engaging said screws, the arms N connected to the said screws, the links S, pivotally connected to the outer ends of said arms, and the cross-bars U, adapted to connect the lower ends of the said links, substantially as described.

2. The apparatus comprising the jaclcear adapted to be run on an elevated track, the hooks 0, depending from said ear, the elevating-screws L, the nuts or hubs engaging said screws and supported on thejack-car platform, the arms N, pivoted to the lower ends of the elevating-screws, the links S, pivoted to said arms, the latter being adapted to be engaged by the hooks O, and the cross-bars U, adapted to connect the lower ends of the links, substantiall y as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in presenee of two witnesses.

WILLIAM HTBBARD JENNINGS.

Witnesses:

J. M. MOALLISTER, BENNIE DE LA RUA. 

